bedard



Feb. 7, 1956 P. H. BEDARD BARKING MACHINE HAVING AN AXIALLY MOVABLEROTATING DRUM CARRYING RINGLIKE HAMMERS 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Nov. 24,1954 INVENTOR Pczu/ H. BEDARD ATTORNEYS Feb. 7, 1956 P. H. BEDARDBARKING MACHINE HAVING AN AXIALLY MOVABLE ROTATING DRUM CARRYINGRINGLIKE HAMMERS 24, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov.

INVENTOR Paul H. BEDARD ATTORNEYS Unid states Patent o BARKING MACHWEHAVING AN AXIALLY MGi/'- ABLE ROTATING DRUM CARRYING RINGLEKE HAMMERSPaul Henri Bedard, Quebec, Quebec, Canada Application November 24, 1954,Serial No. @14,059

Claims. (Cl. 144-208) The present invention relates to a barking machineand more particularly to such a machine having an axially movablerotating drum carrying ringlike hammers.

The general object, according to the present invention, is the provisionof a barking machine for removing the bark from logs in which thebarking head, which consists in an axially movable rotating drumcarrying ringlike hammers, is constructed in such a manner that the rodssupporting the hammers are themselves rigidly supported adjacent eachhammer.

Another important object of the present invention is the provision of abarking head of the character described in which the hammers cover theentire length of the barking head without leaving any dead length alongsaid head so that the barking head will be effective to remove barkalong its entire length.

Yet another important object of the present invention is the provisionof a barking machine of the character described in which the barkinghead or rotating drum is mounted for axial movement along a pathparallel to 'the log to be barked, and in which the barking head may bepivoted to take an angular position with respect to said log whereby thelatter may be barked in an ecient manner and without damaging the woodypart of the log despite irregularities on the surface of said log andvariations in its diameter.

Still another important object of the present invention is theprovision, in a barking machine of the character described, of a barkinghead provided with means engageable with the log and effective todisplace the barking head alongside the log to effectively bark theentire length thereof. y

The foregoing and other important objects of the present invention willbecome more apparent during the following disclosure and by referring tothe drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the barking machine according to thepresent invention;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary sectional view of the barking head inoperative position. relative to a log which is to be barked and is takenonthe line 2--2 in Fig. 4;

Figure 3 is a plan view of the structure shown in Fig. 2;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary longitudinal section of the barking head andits guideway, as indicated by the line 4-4 of Fig. 2, except that abark-deflecting shield has been omitted, and certain parts have beenshown in elevation;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary elevation of the barking head in assembledposition;

Figure 6 is an exploded perspective view of some of the elements of thebarking head; and

Figure 7 is a cross-section through the barking head on the line 7-7 inFig. 4 and shows the operation of the barking hammers for the removal ofthe bark.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings in which like referencecharacters indicate like elements throughout, the barkingmachine,'according to the present invention, is preferably mounted on abase frame, generally indicated at 1, preferably in the form of a sleighfor ease of transportation of said machine in the woods where it willnormally be operated.

Stocks 2 and 3 are mounted one at each end of the sleigh 1 and spindles4 are rotatably mounted in the stocks 2 and 3. The spindles 4 are inaxial alignment and are provided with teeth adapted to grip both ends ofa log 5 about to be barked so as to rotate the same.

The spindles 4 are rotated through the means of pulleys 6 and 7, belts8, pulleys 9 which are secured to a common shaft l0, pulley 11 alsosecured to said shaft i0, belt 12 trained on the pulley 11 and on apulley i3 which is in turn secured to an output shaft 14 of aspeed-reducing gear (not shown) and which is connected to a gasolineengine or the like (not shown), and speedreducing mechanism and gasolineengine being housed in a casing l5.

A barking head 2b is mounted for longitudinal movement on a bedway 21which comprises a channel-shaped member mounted at the upper ends ofarms 22 which are supported at their lower ends by means of alongitudinally extending rod 23 mounted for pivotal movement on the baseframe l. Thus the bedway 21 and, consequently, the barking head 20 candescribe an arcuate movement around the axis of the rod 23 and thus in adirection transverse to the longitudinal axis of the machine, and thebarking head 20 may be brought to a position close to the log 5.

A shaft 24 extends longitudinally within the bedway 21 and is journalledat both ends in the same. A pulley 25 is secured to the projecting endof the shaft 24 and is operatively connected tothe engine by means of abelt 26. As shown in Figures 2 and 4, the shaft 24 is provided with akeyway 27 extending substantially along its entire length for drivingengagement with a sprocket 28 which is keyed to the shaft 24 forslidable movement thereon. The barking head 20 comprises a carriage 29consisting of a plate resting on round ribs 30 of the bedway 2l andprovided on its underface with four horizontal rollers 3l engaging theinside lateral face of the ribs 30 to guide the carriage 29 in itssliding movement along the bedway 2l. A downwardly extending plate 32and a pair of downwardly extending plates 32 are secured to theunderside of the carriage plate 29 and freely surround the shaft 24, theplates 32 being located at opposite sides of the pinion 2S. Collars 33are secured to the plates 32 and abut the sides of the pinion 2S wherebysaid pinion moves along the shaft 24 together with the carriage 29during slidable movement of the latter on the bedway 21.

A support plate 39 is mounted above the carriage 29 for pivotal movementin a horizontal plane about a pivot axle 4b which is disposed verticaliyabove the pinion 23 at one end of the support plate 3% and carriage 29.The support plate 39 is slidably supported at its middle portion on ribs4l which are secured to the carriage 29, and is guided in its pivotalmovement by means of a pin 42 secured to said support plate 39 anddownwardly extending to engage an arcuate slot 43 made in the carriage29. Uprights 44 are mounted at both ends of the support plate 39 andcarry bearings 45 and 46 in which a shaft 47 is journalled. rl`he shaft47 carries the barking head 2b. A sprocket 48 is secured to the shaft 47adjacent the bearing 46 in a position vertically above the pinion 2S.The pinions 28 and 4b are connected by means of an endless chain 49which passes through suitable holes made in the support plate 39 on bothsides of the pivot axle 4i). Thus the unit consisting of the supportplate 39, uprights 44, shaft 47 and barking head 20 may be swung about alongitudinal axis of the pivot axle 40 relative to the carriage Y22 andthis unit may be displaced along the bedway 21 together with saidcarriage 29, while the shaft 47 remains drivingly connected to the shaft24 lthrough the means of the sprockets 28 and 4S and the chain 4s. Y

L-shaped handles are secured to the uprights 44 and are used to manuallyslide the barking head along the bedway 2l and to pivot the barking headabout the pivot axle 4i) as shown in Figure 3. A bark-deflecting shieldis mounted on the plate 39, as shown in Figs. l-3.

The barking head 2i) is a drumlike structure which consists of aplurality of disks 51 loosely mounted on the axle L57 in adjacentparallel relationship and each is provided with a pair of diametricallyopposed recesses 52, as shown in Figures 6 and 7. Circular end plates 53and 54 are secured to the shaft e7 at the ends of the disk assembly andserve to retain the disks 51 against longi tudinal movement relative tothe shaft 47 and also against rotational movement relative to the shaft47 by means of connecting rods 55 which extend, longitudinally Vinparallel relationship with the shaft 47, through a plurality ofregistering holes 56 made in the disks Sl.

The plate 53 remote from the pivot axle 4i), is of the same diameter asthe disks S1; while the plate 54, which is nearer to the pivot axle 4i?,has a slightly greater diameter than said disks 51 so as to projectoutwardly therefrom, as shown in Figure 4. The plate 54 is provided witha helical thread 57 adapted to engage the log 5, whereby relativerotation between the barking head Ztl and the log 5 will cause slowlongitudinal displacement of the barking head 2) relative to said log 5.

A barking hammer 5S is loosely mounted on a transverse rod 61 and isdisposed in each of the recesses 52 of each disk 5l and between planescontaining planar faces of said disk, and consists of a ring memberhaving a hole et! and having on its outer periphery a plurality ofinclined scraping teeth 59 adapted to engage the bark of the log 5. Thecentral hole 60 of each barking hammer 58 has a substantially largerdiameter than the diameter ot' the transverse rod 61 which passesthrough said hole et). Thus the barking hammers 53 are also disposedbetween Aconfronting planar faces of adjacent disks and arc free to moveabout Vthe rods 6l in the recesses 52 between said adjacent disks Sl.

T he rods 61 are secured at both ends to the end plates 53 and 54 asshown at 62. The recesses in the successive disks 51 in the` diskassembly are disposed 90 degrees out of phase to each other so that arecess 52 of one disk 51 willrbe opposite a nonrecessed portion ot ti etwo adjacent disks. Therefore, a line connecting a pair of barkinghammers 58 associated with one disk 51 will be disposed at right anglesto lines connecting the pairs of barking hammers 58 associated with thetwo adjacent disks 5l, as shown in Figure 6. Thus the rods 6l on whichthe barking hammers 58 are mounted are rmly supported close to each sideof said hammer 58 by passing through holes 65 made in the nonrecessedportion 66 of the ad- .jacent disks 51.

From the foregoing arrangement it will be seen'that the barking hammersSS are capable of limited move- Y Y ment relative to the disks 5l in alplanar path perpendicular to the axis of rotation of said disks.V Uponrotation of the shaft 47, the barking hammers 5S will be subjected tocentrifugal force which will swing them outwardly so that they extendpartly beyond the periphery of the drumlike structure 2i). Y

It has been found in actual practice that the hammers 53 do not chip ordamage the woody part of the log during the barkingoperation as thebarking hammers 525l Ving saidv log from engagement with said spindles.

are free to move in planes transverse to the log 5 and are notmaintained in a fixed position of contact therewith. Therefore, anylocalized variations in the thickness of the bark of the log or of thediameter of said log will be automatically taken care of by thetransversely moving hammers 5S. It will be noted that the hammers 58cover the entire length of the barking head without leaving any deadlength along said barking head because the disks 51 are in contact witheach other and the hammers 58 are disposed in edge to edge relation withsaid disks 51.

rhe log and barking head Ztl are rotated in the same direction, as shownin Figure 7, but at different rates of speed, the log S being rotated ata much slower speed than the barking head Ztl such that the rapidlymoving hammers 58 will act on the entire surface of the log 5 to therebycompletely strip the same of bark.

The operator of the barking machine, according to the present invention,presses the barking head 20 against the log 5 by manipulating thehandles 50. Said barking head 26 is automatically displacedlongitudinally of the t bedway 2l because the threads 57 of the endplate 54 engage the log S to exert a feeding action on the barking head2i). Manipulation of the, handles S0 will also vary the inclination ofthe barking head 2t) relative to the log :3' by pivoting said barkinghead 2t) about the pivot axle lil in order to take care of thelongitudinal variations of the diameter of the log 5.

The machine, according to the present invention, may be provided withmeans for automatically inserting the log 5 into engagement with thespindles 4 and for remov- Said means are not shown in the drawings andform no part of the present invention.

While a preferred embodiment according to the present invention has beenillustrated and described it is understood that various modificationsmay be resorted to without departing from the function and scope of theappended claims.

I claim:

l. In a barking machine, a barking head comprising a drumlike structureconsisting of a plurality of disks mounted in adjacent parallelrelationship and each provided with a pair of diametrically opposedrecesses, the recesses in the successive disks being disposedsubstantially degrees out of phase to each other so that a recess of onedisk will be opposite a nonrecessed portion of two adjacent disks,circular end plates at the ends of the disk assembly, connecting rodspassing through said disks and said end plates to secure said disks andend plates one against the other, and barking hammers mounted in saidrecesses, consisting of ringlike members provided with external scrapingteeth, the central holes of said ringlike members being substantiallylarger than the diameter of said rods, said ringlike members surroundingsome of said rods and being free to move in said recesses relative tosaid disks in planar paths parallel to said disks from a retractedposition within the interior of Said drumlike structure to a positionprojecting outwardly from the periphery of said drumlike structure, andmeans to rotate said barking head. Y

2. In a barking machine, a barking head comprising a drumlike structureconsisting of a plurality of disks mounted in adjacent parallelrelationship and each provided with a pair of diametrically opposedrecesses, the recesses in the successive disks being disposedsubstantially 9 0 degrees out of'phase to each other so that a recess ofone disk will be-opposite a nonrecessed portion of two adjacent disks,circular end plates at the ends of the disk assembly, connecting rodspassing through said disks and said end plates to secure said disks andend plates oner against the other, and barking hammers mounted'in (saidrecesses, consisting of ringlike members provided with? externalscraping teeth, the central holes of said ringlikemembers beingsubstantially larger than th'ediameter of'saidv rods, said ringlikemembers surrounding some of said rods and being free to move in saidrecesses relative to said disks in planar paths parallel to said disksfrom a retracted position within the interior of said drumlike structureto a position projecting outwardly from the periphery of said drumlikestructure, means to rotate said barking head, and one of said end plateshaving a greater diameter than the diameter of said disks and providedwith external helical threads adapted to engage a log to be barked.

3. In a barking machine as claimed in claim 2, further including a baseplate on which said drumlike structure is mounted, a carriage on whichsaid base plate is pivotally mounted for movement about a longitudinalaxis of a substantially vertical axle mounted at one end of said baseplate, and a bedway extending longitudinally of a log to be barked andon which said carriage is mounted for longitudinal movement along saidbedway.

4. In a barking machine as claimed in claim 3, further including adriving shaft mounted within said bedway and having a keyway extendingtherealong, Va sprocket 20 mounted on said driving shaft forlongitudinal movement therealong and having a key for engagement withsaid keyway so as to be rotated by said shaft, means to mainincludingsupport means for said bedway, said support Y means comprising a rodextending longitudinally of said log, arms pivotally mounted at theirlower ends on said rod and supporting said bedway at their upper ends,whereby said bedway may be swung about said rod towards or away fromsaid log.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS987,828 Schenck Mar. 28, 1911 1,549,855 Cote Aug. 18, 1925 1,692,028Elliott Nov. 20, 1928 1,881,465 Ganes et al. Oct. 11, 1932 2,397,490Kenney Apr. 2,V 1946 2,401,500 Ockfen June 4, 1946 2,436,555 DaniellFeb. 24, 1948 2,581,617 Alfsen Jan. 8, 1952

